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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Community Solar Policy Screening Workbook for Multifamily Affordable Housing Building Portfolios

This workbook provides a framework to help Multifamily Affordable Housing (MFAH) housing providers evaluate state-level policy landscapes as they relate to MFAH community solar development. By exploring which programs and policies aid in the technical and economic feasibility of MFAH solar projects, building owners can gain an understanding of where in their portfolios to begin developing solar. This workbook also walks through the steps necessary for MFAH building owners to assess their portfolios using this framework. It was developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for the National Community Solar Partnership (NCSP) Multifamily Affordable Housing Collaborative. Learn more about the NCSP and the Collaborative at https://www.energy.gov/communitysolar/community-solar.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Achieving Scale: Community Solar Technical Potential and Meaningful Benefits in the United States

The slide deck was presented at the webinar on February 28th titled Achieving Scale: Community Technical Potential and Meaningful Benefits in the United States. It describes the National Community Solar Partnership program followed by methodology and results from a study on the technical potential of community solar and associated meaningful benefits. A key finding of the study suggests that the opportunity space for community solar to meet unmet demand for solar energy is not primarily constrained by technical potential, but by technological, market, and policy factors. NREL used rooftop and ground-mount photovoltaic siting data to model annual energy production from community solar based on various constraints and system performance. Given modeled results and community solar deployment, we discuss potential benefits including household savings, low-to-moderate income household access to solar, resilience and grid benefits, community ownership, workforce development and entrepreneurship as well as insights into community solar siting opportunities.

community solar↗
DOE OSTI2024

Demystifying Solar in WAP

Over the last two years, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has identified the pathways for implementing solar in the Weatherization Assistance Program and Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and practices for successful implementation. Learn about successful implementation models from around the network and the new resources that can give you a head start in planning solar into your program, including a demonstration of tools to help evaluate solar potential and cost-effectiveness at the household level, as well as a new tool from the U.S. Department of Energy National Community Solar Partnership to help connect households receiving LIHEAP assistance to community solar subscriptions that guarantee energy bill savings.

ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY,SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Status of State Community Solar Program Caps

As of May 2022, at least 18 states and Washington, D.C., included caps on their community solar programs. Most of these program caps are capacity-based, meaning that they limit the program size by capacity (i.e., the number of megawatts of energy produced by participating projects). In general, these programs are at the state level and are developed based on legislative mandates. Community solar deployment has been concentrated in a limited number of states. Of the top 10 states with community solar deployment, 5 have program caps and 5 are uncapped. In states with program caps, installed community solar capacity ranges from 7% to 40% of the program cap.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Community Solar Policy Landscape and Pathways to Meaningful Benefits: A Review of Equitable Access and Household Savings

As of August 2024, community solar legislation and policies have been implemented in 24 U.S. states and localities, including the District of Columbia. These policies have driven significant growth in the community solar market. The states that have enacted legislation accounting for over 62.8% of the country's installed capacity. Community solar policy designs are evolving, with many states expanding programs, enhancing equitable access, and ensuring household savings.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Strategic Energy Plan, Town of Cranberry Isles

This report details the strategic energy plan for the Town of Cranberry Isles, Maine. This project was spearheaded by the Cranberry Isles Community Solar Association (CICSA), and supported by Island Institute and Sandia National Laboratories, in partnership with the National Laboratory of the Rockies and Versant Power. The plan details the energy vision, goals, and focus areas for the community, provides technical analysis of the current energy system, and outlines potential projects to support community energy. Throughout the energy planning process, the project team engaged with members of the community to gather input and ideas to shape the plan. The project team and Versant also completed an extensive data collection to better inform the project. Sandia National Laboratories completed baseline technical assessments and feasibility studies to better understand potential feasible options for future projects. These potential projects, high-level costs, and next steps are a key output of this report.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Advancing Solar Innovation for Low and Moderate-Income Households (Final Technical Report)

The overarching goal of this project was to deepen the understanding of the social and economic aspects of solar adoption, with a specific eye towards any pathways or barriers that could be identified that directly impact low and moderate-income households. Specific objectives included (1) identifying and assessing significant non-economic barriers that complicate the ability of LMI households to adopt and benefit from solar, even under scenarios with low economic barriers; (2) assessing the differential ability of groups to benefit from solar adoption based on their ability to invest in different solar innovations; (3) explaining why some LMI communities nonetheless experience significantly higher rates of solar adoption and benefit than others; (4) developing a methodological model for generating data addressing key issues to the project; and (5) designing and developing an interactive web portal that aggregates existing datasets, provides researchers trend analysis capabilities, standardizes project protocols for other states and communities; provides the opportunities for researchers using the same protocol in other communities to upload their results; and engages with the general public by providing them the ability to upload their own perspectives and stories of solar technology adoption. Through a common framework for conducting semi-structured field interviews. In partnership with cooperative extension services, in conjunction with survey research and the aggregation of existing solar adoption datasets, this study has identified that currently ,there is a strong values alignment and knowledge access challenge that continues to affect solar adoption. Participants in this study – many of whom are either low or moderate-income and/or live in underserved rural communities do not believe solar is an option where they live or believe solar is appropriate for their lifestyle. This perception challenge is further exacerbated by the absolute dearth of adopters in most communities and a total lack of local marketing for solar energy. What marketing that does exist is geared towards audiences other than those in the participant's community, reinforcing a perception that 22% of survey respondents (n = 1,551) have: that solar energy is not meant for them and their community. Overcoming these serious human challenges pertaining to knowledge and marketing are critical to reducing the customer acquisition costs incurred amongst LMI communities and especially those in rural America where the opportunities solar provides to increase local energy resilience, security, all while engaging in personal stewardship of the planet could align with local values. Community-Based Social Marketing, built in partnership with community leaders and geared towards meeting local visions of ideal life, is a near term opportunity to bridge the gap between local priorities and national market and policy imperatives for solar while moving towards the administration's goals for renewable energy as part of a just and equitable decarbonization program. The tools and methods developed for this study can serve as a template for identifying other specific local challenges for solar adoption in other state, and provide the opportunity for a common data framework for understanding system-wide trends and barriers to achieving uptake of residential solar in communities that may, ultimately, benefit the most from the technology.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Call to Arms Control: Synergies between Nonproliferation Applications of Neutrino Detectors and Large-Scale Fundamental Neutrino Physics Experiments (A Snowmass White Paper)

The High Energy Physics community can benefit from a natural synergy in research activities into next-generation large-scale water and scintillator neutrino detectors, now being studied for remote reactor monitoring, discovery and exclusion applications in cooperative nonproliferation contexts. Since approximately 2010, US nonproliferation researchers, supported by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), have been studying a range of possible applications of relatively large (100 ton) to very large (hundreds of kiloton) water and scintillator neutrino detectors. In parallel, the fundamental physics community has been developing detectors at similar scales and with similar design features for a range of high-priority physics topics, primarily in fundamental neutrino physics. These topics include neutrino oscillation studies at beams and reactors, solar, and geological neutrino measurements, supernova studies, and others. Examples of ongoing synergistic work at U.S. national laboratories and universities include prototype gadolinium-doped water and water-based and opaque scintillator test-beds and demonstrators, extensive testing and industry partnerships related to large area fast position-sensitive photomultiplier tubes, and the development of concepts for a possible underground kiloton-scale water-based detector for reactor monitoring and technology demonstrations. Some opportunities for engagement between the two communities include bi-annual Applied Antineutrino Physics conferences, collaboration with U.S. National Laboratories engaging in this research, and occasional NNSA funding opportunities supporting a blend of nonproliferation and basic science R&D, directed at the U.S. academic community.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2025

Grid Resiliency with a 100% Renewable Microgrid

San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) installed America’s first and largest utility-scale microgrid in Borrego Springs in 2013. The first generation Borrego Springs Microgrid utilized diesel generators to form and stabilize the microgrid island, with support from grid-scale batteries and local solar photovoltaic (PV) generation. In this project, SDG&E in partnership with National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) demonstrated through modeling, simulation and utility field testing that blackstart and islanding of the microgrid can be led with 100% renewable, inverter based resources (IBRs), to help reduce community reliance on conventional generation resources. Through equipment upgrades, grid-forming island leader capability was transitioned to a battery IBR instead of the Borrego Springs Microgrid diesel generators. A new microgrid controller was integrated to the microgrid and programmed to control and manage multiple energy storage systems. Synchrophasor and other power quality data verified autonomous, high-speed response of the IBRs through blackstart, islanding, and load step testing. Results of project field evaluations provide distribution systems operators (DSO) with increased confidence that renewable, IBR can replace traditional generators to blackstart and island microgrids and rapidly establish stable island frequency with rapid changes in peak power demand. Importantly, the project validated the integration feasibility of a distributed energy resource management system (DERMS) controller that manages multiple grid-forming and grid-following IBRs, establishing a standard design interface to reduce the complexity of integrating new DERs in the future and supporting replication by the industry. As a result of learnings in this project, SDG&E has implemented the microgrid controller strategy at multiple other microgrid sites, thereby validating the replicability of the solution. Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulations including power and controller HIL hardware — along with electromagnetic transient (EMT) simulations of Borrego Springs Microgrid —informed adjustments to inverter parameters and were important to characterize the performance of the IBRs in relevant operating conditions before deployment. The EMT and HIL simulations of islanding the entire community are important contributions in providing confidence in IBR performance prior to future islanding of the community in the field. High-fidelity EMT and/or HIL simulation of IBRs can de-risk field operations, and its relevance and importance as a tool is increasing as distribution grids and microgrids become more complex and dynamic with an increasing proportion of renewable generation, distributed energy storage, and two-way power and energy flows.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
NASA NTRS2018

JPSS-2 VIIRS Polarization Sensitivity Performance Comparison with Heritage VIIRS Sensors

The Joint Polar Satellite System 2 (JPSS-2) is the follow-on for the Suomi-National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) and Joint Polar Satellite System 1 (JPSS-1) missions. These spacecrafts provide critical weather and global climate products to the user community. A primary sensor on both JPSS and S-NPP is the Visible-Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) with Earth observations covering the Reflective Solar Band (RSB), Thermal Emissive Band (TEB) and Day Night Band (DNB) spectral regions. The VIIRS Sensor Data Records (SDRs) contain the calibrated Earth observations that are used in Environmental Data Record (EDR) products such as Ocean Color/Chlorophyll (OCC) and Sea Surface Temperature (SST). This SDR calibration is performed using unpolarized sources such as the Solar Diffuser (SD) for the RSBs and an On-Board Calibrator BlackBody (OBCBB) for the TEBs. Therefore, polarized Earth scenes will have radiometric bias errors within the SDRs based on how sensitive VIIRS is to polarized illumination and is corrected in some EDR algorithms. This paper will discuss the JPSS-2 VIIRS polarization characterization methodology, polarization sensitivity results and compare its performance to its predecessors S-NPP and JPSS-1 VIIRS. Optical modifications to the JPSS-2 VIIRS sensor to address heritage polarization sensitivity issues will be discussed.

S-NPP↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Jpss-4 VIIRS Polarization Sensitivity Performance Comparison With Heritage VIIRS Sensors

The Joint Polar Satellite System 4 (JPSS-4) is the follow-on for the Suomi-National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) and Joint Polar Satellite Systems 1-3 (JPSS-1, -2 and -3) missions. A primary sensor on both JPSS and S-NPP spacecrafts is the Visible-Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) that provides valuable weather and climate products to the user community. VIIRS covers the Reflective Solar Band (RSB) and Thermal Emissive Band (TEB) spectral regions and contains a Day Night Band (DNB) that uses Lunar illumination at night. VIIRS provides top-of-atmosphere radiance, reflectance, and brightness temperature within the Sensor Data Records (SDRs) that are used in sea surface temperature, cloud characterization, land surface properties and ocean color/chlorophyll Environmental Data Record (EDR) products. The SDR calibration is performed using unpolarized sources such as a Solar Diffuser (SD) for the RSBs or an On-Board Calibrator BlackBody (OBCBB) for the TEBs. Earth scenes with polarizing properties will create radiometric bias errors within the SDRs based on how sensitive VIIRS is to polarized illumination and must be corrected in some EDR algorithms. This paper will discuss the JPSS-4 VIIRS polarization characterization methodology, polarization sensitivity results and compare its performance to its predecessors S-NPP and JPSS-1 through -3 VIIRS.

David Moyer↗
DOE OSTI2024

From Silos to Synergy: Identifying a Roadmap for Cross-Sector Research to Accelerate the Clean Energy Transition

The U.S. Department of Energy's blueprints for the transportation, buildings, and electricity sectors call for substantial reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. These plans focus on zero-emission vehicles, investments in transit, energy-efficient buildings, and the widespread adoption and deployment of renewable energy technologies like solar photovoltaics (PV), energy storage and energy-efficient appliances. However, these sectors are often studied and modeled in isolation, overlooking how household decisions to adopt clean technologies in one sector influence others. This study, led by an interdisciplinary team at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), explores opportunities for cross-sector collaboration to drive more effective and equitable decarbonization. Through discussions with 22 NREL researchers across transportation, building, solar, and grid sectors, the study highlights the need for integrated tools and models that capture interactions between these sectors. Key insights include the need for data standardization and interoperability to enable cross-sector analysis and decision-making. Strengthening utility partnerships is also critical to align energy policies with decarbonization goals and manage the increased demand for renewable energy. The study also emphasizes the importance of equity in the clean energy transition, calling for targeted incentives and support to ensure that low-income and underserved communities benefit from clean technologies like electric vehicles and energy-efficient appliances. To support these efforts, innovative funding mechanisms must be expanded to facilitate interdisciplinary research, such as city-specific decarbonization plans and federal projects like DOE"s Standard Scenarios. By encouraging collaboration and integrating cross-sector insights, this study aims to provide a roadmap to accelerate the clean energy transition and ensure it is both sustainable and inclusive.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Solar Training and Education Partnership for Underserved Populations

Solar Landscape’s STEP-UP program provided high quality solar installation training in partnership with community-based organizations (CBOs) in various regions within the U.S. Solar Landscape leveraged internal subject matter experts (SME’s) industry guidance and regional training assessments to provide customized training designed to support the growing solar and broader energy sector. Upon completion of the program, the team assisted trainees and nonprofit partners with connections to Solar Landscape contractors as well as local and National residential solar installation companies to facilitate placement into careers and apprenticeships.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Best Practices for Equitable Solar Workforce Development

The Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) was selected to serve as a lead organization for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technology Office’s Equitable Solar Communities of Practice initiative. This project, facilitated through a partnership with ENERGYWERX, aimed to develop strategies to support the expansion of equitable benefits in solar adoption across the U.S. Specifically, the MREA was chosen to lead the solar workforce development community of practice, focusing on scaling the U.S. solar workforce, to meet growing industry demands and ensure that these opportunities are accessible and beneficial to all communities. For the purpose of this initiative, we define the solar workforce in line with the National Solar Jobs Census, which defines a solar worker as someone who spends a majority of their time on solar-related work. This also includes workers who spend a plurality of their time on solar tasks. It’s important to note that manufacturing jobs were not included in this research, as the focus is primarily on solar installation, development, and related roles. To achieve the goals of the Equitable Solar Communities of Practice initiative, the MREA leveraged existing resources and engaged a diverse core team and group of stakeholders including industry professionals, educators, policymakers, and community leaders. The MREA began with a literature review and gap analysis to identify existing best practices and gaps in the solar workforce. This was followed by a community convening to gather insights from a wide range of stakeholders. The findings informed the best practices and pathways to scale the benefits of solar workforce development, focusing on training programs, workforce services, apprenticeship, and justice, inclusion, and sustainability. This report outlines the background, methodology, findings, and conclusions drawn from the landscape and gap analysis, providing valuable insights into workforce needs and training program capacities across the U.S. The outcomes of this research are presented in this report and contain recommendations for optimizing workforce development and training funding to support the equitable growth of the solar industry, ensuring that the transition to solar energy is inclusive and beneficial for all communities.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Overcoming Resilience Challenges on the Outer Banks of North Carolina

In 2021, the Town of Nags Head, located in the Outer Banks region of North Carolina, was among the first cohort of coastal and island communities to participate in the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP), which offers technical assistance and cash awards to competitively selected coastal, remote, and island communities seeking to transform their energy systems and increase their energy resilience. As a barrier island separated from mainland North Carolina, Nags Head experiences impacts from extreme weather events, including power outages, especially during hurricane season. To address challenges, the Nags Head ETIPP team sought to improve the town's disaster resilience by ensuring that critical facilities can remain powered during and after extreme events. With support from experts at Sandia National Laboratories, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the Coastal Studies Institute, the community team identified the following goals for its participation in ETIPP: 1. Identify and prioritize critical facilities that, when powered during disruptions, support the town's resilience. 2. Analyze the potential for on-site solar photovoltaic (PV) and storage systems at 2-4 prioritized critical facilities owned and/or operated by the town. 3. Analyze the potential for interconnecting solar PV and storage systems at a cluster of public and privately owned facilities into a resilient microgrid. 4. Explore finance options and utility interconnection requirements and compensation mechanisms. 5. Summarize outcomes and next steps for town leadership.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Artemis: An Overview of NASA’s Activities to Return Humans to the Moon

NASA is well underway in its plans to return humans to the Moon and build long-term infrastructure both in orbit and on the surface. Following the Artemis I and Artemis II flight tests, NASA will begin crewed landings and regular missions to the Moon. Artemis will return value to the American public and the global community, enable groundbreaking scientific discovery, and prepare NASA and its partners for exploration of the solar system. Work on the initial Human Landing System (HLS), procurement activities for future HLS, and work on the initial modules of the lunar-orbiting Gateway are underway. International partnerships are playing a critical role in the planning, development, and execution of these missions. As of December 2021, three international partners have entered agreements to contribute to the Gateway and 14 nations have signed the Artemis accords. A new spacesuit acquisition strategy will stimulate economic growth and meet the growing needs of NASA and emerging customers. Requirements development is underway for an unpressurized lunar surface rover and plans for a pressurized rover, foundation surface habitat, and the Artemis Base Camp are in work. This paper will provide an update on the HLS demonstration missions and the procurement status for HLS services; a comprehensive look at the Gateway’s components and related statuses; a summary of planned surface systems; and an outline of the strategies NASA will use to successfully implement these plans, preparing for humanity's next giant leap: Mars.

Artemis↗